Between starting stations and stop stations, rolling stocks have to follow a running profile. The running profile indicates the position, the speed and the acceleration of the rolling stock at successive time instants.
Running profile are typically designed to setup a transit time between starting and stop station, while keeping the speed of the rolling stock below the speed limits imposed by the track and minimizing the energy consumption of the rolling stock during the transit.
The computation of the running profile is typically determined according to assumptions, such as the mass of the rolling stock and of its payload, the slope of the track, the variation law of resistance forces due to air and rail with the speed of the rolling stock, limitations of rolling stock drive to operate at different acceleration notch levels and the availability of electric power at catenary.
In the state of art, automatic train control systems typically apply acceleration levels indicated in the running profile or use speed tracking devices in order to catchup speed with that contained in the running profile.
Using Drive Advice Systems (DAS), human drivers also use graphical representation of ideal and actual train position to help the driving of the rolling stock according to a running profile.